No, You're Joshing Me!
by watchmefly
Summary: My version of post-season 4 finale. Chapter 1 is the end of the finale re-written, and it goes from there. Donna sticks around, she and Ten!Doctor continue to galavant around. Like a season 5. Some familiar faces will show up. *K plus* just in case.


DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who belongs to BBC and others who aren't me

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"Nah! Nevermind Feldspoon. You know who I'd like to meet? Charlie Chaplin. I bet he's great, Charlie Chaplin. Shall we do that, shall we go see Charlie Chaplin?"

Donna picked up the mobile as the Doctor looked on, concerned.

"Shall we, Charlie Chaplin? Charlie Chester, Charlie Brown, no he's fiction," she put the mobile back down. "Friction, fiction, fixing, mixing, Rickston, Brixton." Donna cut off, gasping like she was in pain.

"Do you know what's happening?"

"…Yeah."

"There's never been a human-Timelord metacrisis before now. And you know why."

"…Because there _can't be_."

The Doctor watched sadly as Donna staggered around the console.

"I want to stay." The Doctor looked away, hearing the tears in her voice, before coming up close.

"Look at me. Donna, look at me."

The two companions looked at each other silently, tears welling up in Donna's eyes.

"I was gonna be with you. Forever."

"I know."

"Rest of my life. Travelling. In the Tardis. The DoctorDonna. No. I wo-I won't go back. I can't go back! Don't make me go back! Doctor! Please! Please don't make me go back!"

"Donna. Oh, Donna Noble. I'm so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best."

"Doctor! No please!"

The Doctor dropped his hands from Donna's shoulders, having moved closer during her pleas. Donna hung her head.

"Donna…"

"Th-there has to be a w-way! There h-_has_ to!"

The Doctor glanced into the bowels of his ship, thinking. He scratched the back of his head.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell…"

Donna looked up, hopeful.

"There is one way… It'd be painful! I mean, really, really, _really_ painful! And it _might_ work, only _might_!"

"I-I'll try it! I want to try it! Anything, p-please!"

The Doctor sighed.

"Okay."

Grinning, the Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled Donna through the labyrinth that was the Tardis. Stopping in front a door suddenly, the Timelord looked at his companion wordlessly, checking whether she was really ok to do this. Donna nodded, only looking a little scared. The thought of being allowed to stay, with the Doctor, in the Tardis, made Donna smile, even through the pain of having a Timelord mind in her own, even in the face of the impending pain. Encouraged, the Doctor yanked the door open, and the two ventured in slowly. The Doctor gently led Donna to a metal examination table in the middle of the room, surrounded by machinery and general clutter. The table had a cushioned headrest at one end, and a plastic-looking device that, judging by its shape, was meant to go on her head. But that wasn't what Donna was looking at. She was staring at the wrist and ankle restraints attached to the table. Seeing them, the full force of what was happening hit her. Donna almost bolted, kept in the room only by the reassuring feel of the Doctor's hand in hers. The Doctor seemed to sense her unease.

"Y' don't have to do this, y'know. I can just take you home." Donna shook her head.

"N-no, I-I want to st-stay. I'll do it." The Doctor smiled reassuringly at his companion before they walked over to the forbidding salvation the table tauntingly offered. Donna laid down on the table, and stared at the ceiling as the Doctor snapped the restraints around her wrists and ankles, and placed the 'helmet', as Donna now thought of it, on her head. Once the Doctor was done, he stroked her hair gently (the hair not covered by the helmet).

"It's not too late to change your mind. If you don't want to do this, don't do this coz a me." Donna swallowed back the pain that was steadily growing.

"It's not all about you, Spaceman." She smiled weakly. "Let's just get started. And I _don't_ wanna know what's happening, a'right?"

"Absolutely, whatever you want. I want you to know Donna, I'll be right here the whole time." The Doctor moved to a nearby control console, and flipped a few switches and twirled a dial.

"It'll take some time for the Timelord consciousness to leave you, and it won't be… pleasant. Once this starts, it can't be stopped. Last chance to pull out." The pain was getting to be too much, but Donna didn't want the Doctor to know that, she just wanted it to be over, so she just shook her head. The Doctor nodded solemnly. He pushed the happy-looking yellow button.

Suddenly, the pain in Donna's head doubled, somehow. She closed her eyes, and bit back a scream that turned into a whimper. It seemed impossible that there was anything outside the pain, but she was gladly proven wrong as she felt the Doctor's hand close around hers. She opened one eye to look at the Doctor, and the two shared a weak smile, and she closed eyes tight again as another wave of pain hit her.

True to his word, the Doctor sat with her for 5 hours, as the Timelord consciousness was slowly, and painfully, removed from her. When it was finally over, Donna opened her eyes, to see the Doctor, asleep, resting his head on the table, his hand still in hers. Though she wanted up from the table, desperately, Donna couldn't bear to wake him. Well, not just yet.

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Thanks for reading! Comments appreciated!


End file.
